The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-04-25
Second PrssbyIerian Church.


several OF the discnurs.s.
Second Presbyterian Church.
The Rev. DR.. Pratt, of Knoxville
occupied DR.. BoEgs's pulpit yesterday
aud selected the following text: "Why
should it be thought a thing incredible
with you, that God should raise the
dead p'-xxvi, Acts 2S.
The doctrine of the resurrection is a
part OF the faith Of the whole Catholic
Church, and yet vitality important az
the doctrine is, it is rarely proclaimed,
The doctrine does not mean merely
the future existGnoe Of the soul, but
tie resurrection Of the body. The
resurrection does not mean that an,
other body shall be given, but that
the very bodies which we have here
on earth shall be the subject of the
IevivIcation.
The resurrection is always spoken
OF as future-as to take place once for
all when Christ shall come a second
time.
The question may be asked, In
what shall the identity of the future
body with the present body consist
knowledge as to this point is not es.
sential TO an intelligent and rational
belief in the doctrine itself. We msy
believe on the authori y of God that
our bodies hereafter will be the same
as those we now have, although we
may not know in what that sameness
may Consist. A man has the same
body now that he hal when a baby,
but he is not able to tell in what tina,
sameness consists. He knows that it
is not the same in substance; for the
substance is changed every seven
years; not the same in size, or form,
or appearance. Yet he knows that he
is essentially the same man in soul
and body. -.
While, therefore, we do not under.
lake to say what will be the principle
OF identity, we may suggest several
possible answers to the question. Our
future bodies may be the same as our
present bodies as to substance or par
ticles. This has always been the most
commonly received opinion in the
Catholic Church. But all that the
most rigid demand as to identity of
substance can require, Is that the fu-
ture body shall be composed exclu.
sively OF the particles that enter the
composition Of that body on earth. 1t
is essential to our identity that we
should have these particles ipcorpor-
ated into our resurrection bodies.
God is able to gather even these to-
gether. This, however, ia the very
lowest form of identity, and it belongs
to unorganized matter.
Flung to the needless winds,
Or in the waters cast;
These ashes may be watched,
And gathered a. the last
The same nv sterious principle
which gathers the particles together
from bodies here, may, after We are
dead, gather them together again, &C
to an organic law, making
them the same in form, character and
expression, 30 that we may know our
selves and others may know and
recognize US.
We do not and cannot know with
what bodies we shall come, but we
do know that our bodies shall be
like unto the glorious body
Of our risen Lord.
The doctrine that God should raise
the dead Is not incredible.
First-Becsuse with God ell things
are possible-this wss Chriet's own
with the Sadducees.
SecODd-The doctrine is not incredi.
BILE because a resurrection has once
occurred. If Christ did actually die
and then rise from the dead, then q
resurrection like His is possible for
other men =.
Third-The docrire is not incredi
BILE, because God has promised that
He will raise the dead, and whatever
God has promised He is surely able to
perform.
Fourth-The Analogy of Nature
This is st. Psu's argument. What
ever is seen actually to occur in one
domain OF nature may occur in an
other.
AS our souls in the formation of our
present bodies attract and collect
around them certain particles OF mat
ter, 80 they may attract from the dis
solving elements whatever particles
shall be suited to their nature at the
And as God now gives
them body, 80 again q body of the
same nature may be given them by
the power OF God. Will he who can
not tell us beforehand whether grain
Of wheat falling into the earth has
any "vilal continuity" with the
stock; or whether a lump
Of alum dissolved in water
has any inherent tendency 10 crys al.
lie, be able to determine prior to ex
perience, that the disintegration OF
the body will destroy its tendency I'M
der all circumstances to reunite with
this soul and form again the same per-
son2 II, as it is admitted, my soul
has the power to gather from the
graves Of the nations materials with
which to compose its present body,
may it not gather the same particles
again from the dissolving elementsP
Thus we see that in the light OF
scripture and reason, it lie not Sin
credible that God should raise the
dead"